The University of Wisconsin-Madison is hosting Earth Fest this week to promote sustainability and pay tribute to the mission of Earth Day’s founder.
Earth Fest at UW-Madison promotes sustainability and pays tribute to Earth Day founder
Spectrum News
Category: Community
Madison residents threw away over 6,121 tons of plastic in 2023
Wisconsin State Journal
The city doesn’t collect trash or recyclables from metal dumpsters, and this doesn’t include UW-Madison, which has its own system for waste collection.
Vel Phillips statue receives final board approval to be installed on Wisconsin State Capitol grounds
Madison365
In 1951, Velvalea “Vel” Hortense Rodgers Phillips became the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.
Madison kicking off $300M Triangle redevelopment with a $50M first phase
Wisconsin State Journal
The city’s Community Development Authority, which owns 336 housing units at five sites and a small Asian grocery store on 10.5 acres bounded by West Washington Avenue and South Park Street, on Monday submitted plans for the initial phase of the larger redevelopment that will triple the total, up to 1,216 units.
Madison Muslims gather to celebrate the end of Ramadan
Wisconsin State Journal
“I think having a place to go when we’re away at college is really making it feel like a second home for us,” UW-Madison student Dorsa Radvarzangeneh said. “It’s been difficult throughout Ramadan, going through it alone.”
Many college students have been grateful to find community during Ramadan, a time for reflection and fasting, Radvarzangeneh said.
Eviction filings in Dane County skyrocket amid housing crunch
The Capital Times
In addition to the UW Law School and Legal Action, the report was compiled by the Tenant Resource Center in Madison and Community Justice Inc.
Innovative research into cover crops is helping Oneida white corn co-op restore depleted soil
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
For the members of Ohe·láku, a co-op of Oneida Nation families growing their traditional white corn together, what started as an experiment has become a success story.
A few years ago, they partnered with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to test different cover crop mixes to restore soil they grow on, which had been depleted under prior ownership. Cover crops are left in the soil after the primary crop is harvested. The idea is to make sure the fields are never bare, increasing soil fertility, limiting runoff and keeping the soil moist.
Latino Chamber’s new training center gets $5 million in federal budget
The Capital Times
The University of Wisconsin-Madison, which received $2 million to “establish a regional center to combat the fentanyl crisis” and $1 million to improve agriculture research facilities.
Madison Plan Commission again denies State Street development
The Capital Times
The Plan Commission voted 5-3 to stop the demolition of three buildings along the 400 block of State Street which used to house B-Side Records and Freedom Skate Shop, locally owned businesses that had been staples on the block since the mid-1970s.
Older Wisconsinites have the highest suicide rate of any age group. Why don’t we talk about it?
Green Bay Press-Gazette
There’s a disconnect in how we respond to older people struggling with their mental health, said Dr. Sarah Endicott, a clinical professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on geriatrics. Some of that, she suspects, may be chalked up to ageism, which the World Health Organization defines as the stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination toward others based on age.
“I don’t think it’s intentional, but the lower value we place on older adults in general, especially when it comes to end-of-life, I’m guessing that’s part of the cause,” said Endicott, who also works as a geriatric psychiatrist at Stoughton Hospital in Dane County.
‘It’s desperate’: Thousands of immigrants in Wisconsin are in court without lawyers
Wisconsin Public Radio
As part of that initiative, Dane County received a $100,000 grant from the Vera Insitute in 2017. That pilot program, which has since ended, helped fund attorneys through Community Immigration Law Center and the University of Wisconsin Law School’s Immigrant Justice Clinic for people facing deportation.
Members of UW-Madison community visit Washington, D.C. for annual lobbying day
Spectrum News
Members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison community descended on Capitol Hill Wednesday to make the case for more research funding.
“We can create jobs. We can create innovation, new technologies, and improve human health and improve the human condition,” said Charlie Hoslet, the vice chancellor of university relations at UW-Madison.
Crazylegs Classic: Iconic race returns to UW for 42nd year
The Badger Herald
The yearly tradition started with the work of three students at UW who were looking to raise money for the Badgers’ athletic teams at the time. In 1982, Tom Grantham, Ken Sparks and Rich Backus approached Elroy Hirsch, who was the current Athletic Director, the website home page said.
West Madison plan sparks outrage over city’s answers to big question
The Capital Times
To Kurt Paulsen, a professor of urban planning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, there’s no question the city faces a critical shortage of housing to meet the needs. Paulsen’s research focuses on housing and land use.
“It absolutely is accurate to call it a crisis,” he said. “It’s the basic facts: Jobs are growing really quickly. Lots of young people are moving here. All those things mean housing demand is off the charts.”
Madison adaptive dance program makes new moves at MYArts
The Capital Times
Collaborating with partners such as UW-Madison, Madison Ballet, Wheels & Heels, Barrio Dance, NewBridge and Cycropia Aerial Dance, the program seeks to create a supportive environment where disabled individuals can explore movement, express themselves creatively, and build meaningful connections with their peers.
Dear Black Future asks people to sum up their hopes in just 4 words
Wisconsin State Journal
Marlon F. Hall, who is an artist-in-residence at UW-Madison, said the idea behind the Dear Black Future project is to collect as many letters as possible, all written with just four words, to detail aspirations for the Black community.
UniverCity Alliance adds Driftless Area projects
Wisconsin Public Radio
The UniverCity alliance is a program that marshals the research capacity of UW-Madison students in service of the unique needs of cities, counties, villages, townships and others across the state of Wisconsin. The Alliance has helped some communities learn how government bodies can operate more efficiently, and others determine how to address needs like childcare in their local communities. Joining us on “Newsmakers” this week are Gavin Luter, Managing Director of the UniverCity Alliance; Max Hart of the Jackson County Board of Supervisors; and Doug McLeod, Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications at UW-Madison.
Developer drops 12-story housing project that would have razed popular campus bar
Wisconsin State Journal
The Carey Group, of Madison, had proposed razing Vintage Spirits & Grill and its busy outdoor patio for the narrow tower offering 33 market-rate units and 110 beds, with 1,450 square feet of commercial space and no vehicle parking on a tiny one-tenth-acre site at 529 University Ave.
Madison students, residents receive information about first-time real estate purchases
Wisconsin State Journal
The event was co-sponsored by UW-Madison’s Students in Free Enterprise and Bank Mutual.
Smith: On its 75th anniversary, lessons of “A Sand County Almanac” more relevant than ever
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Leopold, born in Iowa in 1887, received a forestry degree from Yale and began his professional career in 1909 with the U.S. Forest Service. In 1924 he became associate director of the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison and in 1933 the University of Wisconsin created a chair of game management for him. Leopold died in 1948 fighting a grass fire on a neighbor’s farm. The property is now part of the Aldo Leopold Foundation near Baraboo.
Lakeshore Nature Preserve unveils new master plan
The Badger Herald
The Lakeshore Nature Preserve presented its master plan to the City of Madison’s Joint Campus Area Committee Thursday. The plan aims to protect the natural environment and share cultural resources through research and outreach.
Annual ‘Wonders of Physics’ show explores numbers in everyday life
The Badger Herald
“The Wonder of Physics,” an outreach program from the University of Wisconsin physics department, celebrated its 346th show last Saturday — called the “TH3 PHYS1C5 of NUMB3R5”— and performed dazzling physics experiments for an audience of people from all ages and backgrounds.
Four bus stops on State Street, Capitol Square area close for BRT construction
The Badger Herald
Four bus stops will remain closed for the construction of bus rapid transit stations on State Street and the Capitol Square from Feb. 19 to the last week of April, according to Metro Transit newsletter.
UniverCity Alliance announces new partnerships across state
The Badger Herald
The UniverCity Alliance program announced new partnerships with six different local governments across Wisconsin Feb. 19, according to a press release.
New “Build Up” program will support men transitioning back into society after incarceration
Madison365
A new pilot program called “Build Up,” a collaboration between Nehemiah and UW-Madison, aims to support people transitioning back into society after incarceration.
Bus rapid transit construction will close a lane on State Street
The Capital Times
Traffic on State Street will decrease starting Monday as the city begins construction on two bus rapid transit stations, closing the city’s best-known thoroughfare to a single, westbound traffic lane.
Warm weather cancels Winter Carnival’s snow, ice events, but will Lady Liberty make an appearance?
Wisconsin State Journal
Persistent, unseasonably warm weather has prompted the Wisconsin Union to cancel the Winter Carnival’s snow- and ice-based events this week over concerns that the ice is too thin to be safe.
Air sampling in Dane County schools tracks flu, COVID-19
Wisconsin State Journal
“It can tell us about the virus without us needing to stick anything up anyone’s noses or even know who was in a space,” said Dave O’Connor, a UW-Madison researcher involved in the surveillance. “Air sampling should be something that lots of schools bring on board to understand what the respiratory virus transmission risk is.”
Monitors have been at seven schools in the Oregon School District for two years, where air sampling last school year tracked flu and COVID-19 activity as reliably as student absences, rapid tests at school and regular tests from samples collected at home, UW-Madison researchers recently reported. That research was part of a UW study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that has analyzed respiratory illness at Oregon schools since 2015.
Where should Madison’s Amtrak station go? City may ask you
The Capital Times
As city leaders consider eight specific locations for an Amtrak train station — ranging from downtown on the isthmus to the old Oscar Mayer plant — residents will have a chance to get information and share their thoughts at two public meetings.
Wisconsin vs. Marquette celebrity softball game, featuring Steve Novak, Travis Diener, Travis Beckum and Chez Mellusi, set for July 14
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The event is hosted by former Marquette University basketball greats Steve Novak and Travis Diener, as well as former University of Wisconsin-Madison football player Travis Beckum and current running back Chez Mellusi.
Kohl Center work prompts MMSD to move high school graduations
The Capital Times
Seniors at Madison’s four largest high schools will graduate at the Alliant Energy Center this year. The new location is a shift from the ceremonies’ usual venue at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Kohl Center.
Verline Gee recalled as icon of Madison’s Black community
The Capital Times
When Verline Gee first began at UW, a Black Studies program was in its infancy. The university created the program as a result of student protest.
“Mom was one of the inaugural students in the Black history program,” Alex Gee said. At the time it, he said, was “the only Afro-American department in the Big Ten.”
UW construction impacting MMSD graduation ceremonies
WMTV - Channel 15
The decision comes after UW Athletics announced the renovation of the Kohl Center ice hockey rink floor. Currently, UW leadership is unaware if the construction will take place before or after the scheduled graduation ceremonies this June.
You can sign Spanish tiles that will be part of Olbrich Gardens’ Thai pavilion on Sunday
Wisconsin State Journal
The pavilion arrived in Wisconsin in 2001 as a gift to UW-Madison from the government of Thailand and the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association as a gesture of international friendship. Constructed in Thailand and then flown to the U.S. in sections, the pavilion was assembled by Thai artisans who were on one of the last planes to land in Chicago after the terrorist attacks.
UW Health invests $1 million in Dane Workforce Housing Fund
WMTV - Channel 15
The fund works to build housing for the workers of Dane County, UW Health explained. The housing is designed for people who make 50-80% of the county’s median income, while also being close to work.
Madison roads expected to stay slick for days; 26 injured in crashes
The Capital Times
Madison roads that are still packed with snow and ice a week after two winter storms hit the city are expected to remain slippery and dangerous into next week.
Thai Pavilion gets a makeover in the deep of winter
Wisconsin State Journal
The pavilion arrived in Wisconsin in 2001 as a gift to UW-Madison from the government of Thailand and the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association as a gesture of international friendship.
Madison pinpoints 8 sites for Amtrak station, drops airport and UW from consideration
Wisconsin State Journal
With efforts to bring passenger rail service to Madison once again gaining momentum, the city has identified eight potential sites for a rail station, located along three corridors Downtown, near the coming Madison Public Market and by the former Oscar Mayer plant.
Opinion | The movement to save Madison’s trees is nothing new
The Capital Times
One of his big fights, which he eventually lost, but really won, was against the UW-Madison’s decision to take a piece of Bascom Hill’s John Muir Woods to build a new social sciences building just north of the hill’s celebrated Carillon Tower.
If you’re having a health insurance dispute in Wisconsin, these organizations may be able to help
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Covering Wisconsin, a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, helps people sign up for and understand their health insurance.
The program’s GetCovered Connector Tool can connect you with a local health insurance expert via Zoom, phone, or in person. The experts can provide advice on applications, appeals, coverage issues and more.
Madison Mallards are launching a top-level women’s fastpitch softball team in Madison
Wisconsin State Journal
“What an exciting opportunity for softball in the state of Wisconsin,” UW-Madison head softball coach Yvette Healy said in a statement. “We’ve had a lot of Badgers play in summer collegiate softball leagues the last few years, flying all the way to Florida to see great competition over the summer.”
My Way Out preparing inmates for success upon release
Spectrum News
A program in Milwaukee County is growing and strengthening the life skills of inmates at the Community Reintegration Center in Milwaukee County.
The Building a Path to Success workshop is hosted by My Way Out, a re-entry organization in Milwaukee. The six-week workshop is a collaboration between My Way Out, University of Wisconsin-Extension and Milky Way Tech Hub.
Our View: State Street mall gets its shot to shine
Wisconsin State Journal
Imagine lower State Street in Madison as a Christmas market every December. Colorful lights adorn the trees and illuminate the street from above. Festive huts sell ornaments, crafts and holiday treats to streams of passersby. A student quartet plays holiday songs.
Patel, Mason attend UW’s Great Biology Bake-Off
Verona Press
Verona Area High School (VAHS) students Maitri Patel and Hannah Mason attended the University of Wisconsin’s “Great Biology Bake-Off” on Friday, Nov. 17, bringing the process of DNA replication to life using cake and cupcakes.
Proposed Amtrak route connecting Madison, Milwaukee and Minneapolis gets federal planning grant
Wisconsin State Journal
Six potential station corridors were presented to the public in late 2022, and the study team is now finalizing corridor evaluations and identifying potential station sites, Callin said. The corridors are near the Dane County Regional Airport, Oscar Mayer, the Near East Side, First Street, Downtown and the UW-Madison campus.
Madison’s Jewish community still trying to heal after neo-Nazi march
The Capital Times
A group of about 20 men marched from the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus to the state Capitol building in November, carrying flags with swastikas and shouting antisemitic rhetoric. They wore shirts labeled “Blood Tribe,” which is a growing neo-Nazi group that believes in white supremacy, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
‘A huge win’: Madison to start planning new Amtrak routes
The Capital Times
It is considering six potential areas: near the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, downtown near Monona Terrace, on First Street and East Washington Avenue, on the near east side to the west of Fair Oaks Avenue, the site of the former Oscar Mayer plant, and lastly, near the Dane County Regional Airport.
6 Madison student housing projects planned or under construction near campus
Daily Cardinal
As housing prices in Madison have continued to rise, developers have proposed several large housing developments responding to student housing needs.
No known local ties to neo-Nazi group that marched through Madison
Wisconsin State Journal
Officials with the city of Madison, the state, UW-Madison and other groups have condemned the march.
Kelly Lecker: Hate groups should be called out, investigated
Wisconsin State Journal
There is no room for this hate in Madison or any community, and I’m heartened to see how many of you weighed in on our coverage of these hate groups. Community leaders from the mayor to the UW-Madison chancellor are quick to call out haters for who they are.
Another big student housing project is coming to Downtown after Madison City Council vote
Wisconsin State Journal
The 1,600-bed complex, which includes a small amount of lower-income rent prices, would see four buildings erected on the block bounded by Johnson, Gorham and Broom streets. Given the moniker “Johnson & Broom,” the latest development from Chicago-based Core Spaces features another agreement between the company, the city and UW-Madison to give some future student tenants lower rents than they’d get in other market-rate apartments.
Editorial | Madison condemns neo-Nazi lies, racism and antisemitism
The Capital Times
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said: “The presence of this hateful group in Madison is utterly repugnant. I am horrified to see these symbols here in Madison. Hatred and antisemitism are completely counter to the university’s values, and the safety and well-being of our community must be our highest priorities.”
Letter | Closing campus bus stops creates hardship
The Capital Times
Dear Editor: I completely agree that Madison Metro should not close the bus stop in front of the Hamel Music Center. Nor should Metro close the bus stop in front of the Witte Residence Hall. These two stops, Numbers 0670 and 0435, are heavily used and strategically located.
Neo-Nazi group marches in downtown Madison; leaders respond
The Capital Times
A neo-Nazi group protested in downtown Madison Saturday afternoon from the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus to the state capitol building, carrying flags with swastikas and shouting antisemitic rhetoric.
Black Arts Matter Festival brings variety of artistic perspectives to Madison
WISC-TV 3
BAM Fest was founded in 2019 by University of Wisconsin-Madison alumna , actor, artist and award-winning poet Shasparay Irvin.
Kaba Bah is a scientist with a plan to solve Madison’s housing crisis
Wisconsin State Journal
Instead, Bah came to the United States to study physics, eventually moving to Madison where he now works part-time as a research scientist at UW-Madison.
Science on the Square event takes to State Street to blend art, science
Daily Cardinal
In partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and the Morgridge Institute of Research, this was the most anticipated event among the week-long celebration of science and innovation with many opportunities in the greater Madison area to participate.
UW-Madison students work to improve impaired Koshkonong Creek
The Capital Times
Labracke has been part of the project as a graduate student studying water resources management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Nelson Institute. The project, led by UniverCity Year, is aimed at creating a watershed plan to improve the impaired waterway and reduce the creek’s flooding.
Wisconsin organizations urge lawmakers to embrace local approach to reducing childhood obesity
Wisconsin Public Radio
In 2018, the UW-Madison’s Division of Extension received a $2.5 million five-year grant from the CDC’s High Obesity program to address obesity in Menominee County. The funding led to the Kemāmaceqtaq: We’re All Moving initiative, which worked with county and tribal government and community groups.
Gauthier, who helped lead the initiative, said the last five years of work have focused on changing policies and making environmental improvements to support healthy choices. The initiative has helped local government buildings, schools and community groups adopt new nutrition policies, supported a local farmers market program and led a walking audit of the county to identify how to improve infrastructure for walking and biking.
Amber Canto is director of the Health and Wellbeing Institute with the UW-Madison’s Division of Extension and project director for the High Obesity Program grant funding. She said they’ve received another five-year award to continue their work in Menominee County and begin work in Ashland County, which now also has an obesity rate of more than 40 percent.
Canto said they’ve tracked increases in healthy food options and recreationally-accessible miles, but the bigger impacts are harder to quantify this early on.
“That data has shown, from a theory perspective, that if these opportunities are present that the behavior and therefore the health outcomes will shift over time,” she said at Monday’s hearing.
UW-Madison students could score discounted apartments, if the city approves
NBC-15
With the city’s approval, there could be an option for some low-income students at UW-Madison to find a room at a discount.